Form and function unite

Form and function unite

Skyline is an advanced waterproof membrane with a renderable facing able to withstand harsh Australian conditions. One of its most celebrated advantages is the ability to create a continuous, monolithic finish on parapets and balcony heads with no ugly metal capping visible at the skyline of the building.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words, we are showing you just how Skyline can bring bold architecture to life with a BEFORE and AFTER scenario (see image above that shows what a design looks like with and without unsightly metal capping).

As you can see, the clean architectural finish achieved with Skyline is simply stunning. More importantly, Skyline is easy to use. It can be seamlessly applied over MasterWall and our super-high performing K-Series system (as seen in this project), as well as many other substrates including fibre cement sheeting, timber fixing plates and masonry. What’s more, it creates stain-free walls due to the sloped head design of the system.

Putting the spotlight on cavities and thermal performance

With thermal performance at the forefront of enhancing building design around the world, progressive organisations are increasingly promoting insulative building envelope solutions as the key to energy efficiency. Nowhere is this more apparent than with External Insulation & Finish (EIF) Systems. The latest trend to gain momentum and public awareness, is manufacturers of EIF Systems spruiking the added insulative benefits of placing a cavity between the outside of the frame and the rear of their insulative cladding.

The science for this has been long known and the calculations for accurate thermal performance of a cavity depend greatly on the amount of ventilation and emissivity of the foil (if utilised) that is designed into the system. If the cavity is open to any degree and therefore is ventilated, it loses significant thermal value. In fact in some countries, due to the complexities of cavity ventilation, the thermal performance of the cladding is automatically reduced by 50 percent due to the thermal inefficiencies of the ventilated air space.

The solution for wall cavities is to ensure the area is well insulated and meticulously air sealed around vents and any other openings so that unwanted air exchange is minimised. The MasterWall and K-Series EIF Systems are widely used to achieve this.

Sandy adds, “Having misinformation in the marketplace regarding the total R value (Rt) of EIF Systems featuring open cavities behind the insulation, highlights the need to have systems accurately assessed to ensure consumers aren’t duped into spending money under false pretences. Put simply, we need mandated uniformity in the Australian building industry, within the strictures of the BCA, so that thermal values quoted by EIF System manufacturers can be analysed, tested and verified.

We believe that CodeMark, as Australia’s leading certification body for external wall systems (Alternative Solutions), should include verified thermal ratings for cavity systems in its accreditations. This is the only way that specifiers, clients and owners can be assured of the real thermal values and performance of their EIF System.”